1803 - 43rd made Light Infantry.
1915 – 2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI -BETHUNE.
Brigade in Corps Reserve and under 2 hours notice to move.
Route marching, Musketry and drills during this period.
The Grenadiers also exercised in throwing Battye Bombs.
1915 – 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – LIERES
Battalion in billets.
B Coy in LESPESSES remainder in LIERES.
1916 (17/18 July) - 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion engaged OVILLERS POZIERES (Somme) On the night of the 17th/18th July the Battalion was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance of certain points in the enemy’s line between Ovillers and Pozieres.
The enemy’s positions were not known, and the object in view was to ascertain whether four points in the area were being held or not. If these were not strongly occupied, they were to be seized and made into strong points, but heavy fighting was not to be undertaken.
The tasks were allotted to “A” and” D “Companies, each Company detailing one platoon for each of the points in its sector. Each platoon advanced in two lines of sections in file with a point patrol immediately in front, led by the officer in charge, with ten yards interval and distance between sections. All points were found to be strongly held, but a platoon of “A” Company under Second Lieutenant B. C. Rigden succeeded in rushing the most easterly point, and occupying it, until ordered to withdraw after daybreak. The withdrawal was accomplished with only slight casualties, notwithstanding that 400 yards of open ground had to be crossed.
Second Lieutenant C. Hall died of wounds received in this reconnaissance, and Second Lieutenant R. C. Norwood was missing.
Amongst other ranks 2 were killed, 29 wounded, and 27 reported missing.
Efforts on the part of search parties, who were sent up to find the missing, were fruitless, on account of the extreme darkness of the night.
It was daylight when the move back started, as the evacuation of the wounded had taken some time.
Orders were to move back to billets at Bouzincourt.
1944 – 7th Bn Oxf & Bucks LI arrived in Taranto (back in Italy)